#ideafreaks are #musicgeeks

Nameless - Angelina Electro pop out of Paris does the body some...

dshan — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:17:13 -0800

Nameless - Angelina

Electro pop out of Paris does the body some good. This has your unbridled weekend night covered. This song kind of takes back to the 80’s while it’s pushing you into tomorrow, huh? You can’t hate the clever name either.

// http://soundcloud.com/waaalkman/nameless-angelina

Hugo Kant - Searching London Tight French trip-hop just oozes...

dshan — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:56:56 -0800

Hugo Kant - Searching London

Tight French trip-hop just oozes with style when it’s done right, and this dude’s tracks have kept me company non-stop for about a week now. His release last year was called i don’t want to be an emperor and it’s got SO MUCH STYLE. Sexy as hell.

// http://hugokant.com/

// http://hugokant.bandcamp.com/album/i-dont-want-to-be-an-emperor

// http://soundcloud.com/hugo-kant/searching-london [download this track]

Kenton Dunson - Count On It Been a while since I’ve heard...

dshan — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:09:07 -0800

Kenton Dunson - Count On It

Been a while since I’ve heard a decent Pointer Sisters sample, but Dunson kills it here. Dunson’s a former investment banker turned solo artist that’s getting more and more attention for production and lyrics. He’s got an upcoming release called the The Investment I’m looking forward to hearing.

// http://kentondunson.tumblr.com/

// http://soundcloud.com/kentondunson/count-on-it [free download]

Philco Fiction - Portrait of Silence No surprises when I found...

dshan — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:12:43 -0800

Philco Fiction - Portrait of Silence

No surprises when I found out this is from another band in Norway; the Icelandic region is always reliable for beautiful music from emerging bands. They seem to just get pop music on a deeper level over there. If you’re headed to Austin for SXSW, word is they’ll be there so make this a show you don’t miss.

// http://philcofiction.com/

Sticky Fingaz - Bad Guy (feat. Quan) You remember ONYX. That...

dshan — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:30:05 -0800

Sticky Fingaz - Bad Guy (feat. Quan)

You remember ONYX. That point in your life when you still weren’t comfortable with loving gangsta rap, but you knew SLAM, DUH DUH DAH DUH DUH DAH..SLAM! like it was your ringtone. Sticky Fingaz is Kirk Jones is that crazy motherfucker in those videos on MTV who also became a recurring rap character in The Shield who you keep seeing and sort of can’t place. Thing is: dude is talented. Should have made it as a rapper, but couldn’t survive the stretch that rap’s experienced in which talent has absolutely nothing to do with success.

I used to work hard,robbing niggaz dat work hard, so if you’re slanging keys, or slanging cds, the more you sell, the more jealousy you’re gonna see.

// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky_Fingaz

Beyoncé & Jay Z - Crazy In Love Happy Valentine’s...

dshan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:18:50 -0800

Beyoncé & Jay Z - Crazy In Love

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you’re all with loved ones:)

ZZ Ward - Got It Bad File this under...

dshan — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:37:26 -0800

ZZ Ward - Got It Bad

File this under “holyshitthatvoice” or “holyshitthatattitude” - whatever floats your boat. No matter where you fall it’s hard not to appreciate this girl, who just dropped a free album you should go pick up right now. I don’t know much about ZZ Ward but I get the feeling there’s a lot more to know.

// http://zzward.com/ [free download]

// http://soundcloud.com/zzward

Rhye - Open Literally no idea who this duo is, but I really dig...

dshan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:50:19 -0800

Rhye - Open

Literally no idea who this duo is, but I really dig the tune. Apparently an LA-based crew from Europe, this duo’s keeping their identities pretty quiet, which seems to be very vogue right now. Honestly, fuck that, but whatever…this is a seductive and addictive tune and I’ll pay attention when they release (via Innovative Leisure) in the undisclosed near term.

// https://twitter.com/#!/rhyemusic

// http://innovativeleisure.net/

CocoRosie - Fairy Paradise (Live on KEXP) CocoRosie, a duo of...

dshan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:43:20 -0800

CocoRosie - Fairy Paradise (Live on KEXP)

CocoRosie, a duo of sisters who spent years without any real contact with one another, have always put out music I’ve enjoyed, including their latest release via Sub Pop Records called Grey Ocean. This is a live performance of a tune from that release, from KEXP, a Seattle radio station with a killer reputation.

// http://www.subpop.com/artists/cocorosie

Leonard Cohen - Different Sides I have no doubt that the fact...

dshan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:49:05 -0800

Leonard Cohen - Different Sides

I have no doubt that the fact that this album, Old Ideas, is being released after I turned 30 (two years ago, yikes) has a lot to do with how much I love it. A younger man might not feel the depth of this album, but I am complete and absolutely slayed by it. I’ve listened to it non-stop since I got my hands on it. Reviews are mixed, and per usual it’s really not a collection of earth shattering musical inventions, but I’m in the camp of Cohen fans that finds his lyrical mastery sufficient to pick up the slack.

// http://www.leonardcohen.com/ca/home

Ting Tings - Soul Killing I gotta admit, the first few songs on...

dshan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:52:23 -0800

Ting Tings - Soul Killing

I gotta admit, the first few songs on the new Ting Tings album almost lost me. The tracks hiding in the middle of this release are fucking ballsy though, and the breadth of styles this duo displays really is impressive. I really thought the Ting Tings were finally irrelevant after the world overdosed on That’s Not My Name, but this is a mature step forward from these two. Color me impressed.

Sounds From Nowheresville comes out February 27th.

// http://www.thetingtings.com/thetings/

K’naan - Is Anybody Out There? (feat. Nelly Furtado) One...

dshan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:37:29 -0800

K’naan - Is Anybody Out There? (feat. Nelly Furtado)

One of my favorite MCs is back with an EP called More Beautiful Than Silence, released yesterday and immediately available to stream over at Hilly Dilly (who I owe my last two posts to). I’ve been a big fan of the dusty footed philosopher for a long time and you may not realize this, but I have a big voice crush on Nelly Furtado as well. The whole release is pretty solid, so go grab it!

// [buy it on itunes]

Acollective - A Better Man A nice find from @hillydilly, this is...

dshan — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:53:50 -0800

Acollective - A Better Man

A nice find from @hillydilly, this is a 7 piece band from Israel who’s album came out early last year. Can’t really complain about a bit of Folk/Middle-Eastern Funk on Monday evening, right?

// http://acollective.bandcamp.com/ [buy their album]

Sol - Need Your Love (feat. Ray Dalton) I’m a huge fan of...

dshan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:40:55 -0800

Sol - Need Your Love (feat. Ray Dalton)

I’m a huge fan of what Sol’s been putting out; the Seattle music scene is spectacular right now and a lot of the artists there are still on the verge of commercial success, so it’s an exciting time to be paying attention. Sol released this earlier this week for free download.

// http://soundcloud.com/solzilla/sol-need-your-love-feat-ray [free download]

Chris Bathgate - Salt Year If I’d told you this was Chris...

dshan — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:08:13 -0800

Chris Bathgate - Salt Year

If I’d told you this was Chris Martin from Coldplay would you have believed me? I bet you would have. That probably wouldn’t please Chris Bathgate all that much, as he’s a tried and true artist from Michigan who’s put out some truly gorgeous releases over the years. This record is popping on most Best Of 2011 lists and completely deserves to.

// http://www.chrisbathgate.org/

// http://store.chrisbathgate.org/album/salt-year

"Why should a nigga try to sell a million albums on Itunes when he can sell 5 million $400..."

dshan — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:52:37 -0800

“Why should a nigga try to sell a million albums on Itunes when he can sell 5 million $400 headphones? Tell Fiddy how wack his music is, then take a sip of some Vitaminwater. Somaya fucking Reese tried to release a vodka before she dropped an album. When you have the conveyers of an art form more interested in selling anything but music, the music is gonna suck.”

- Reasons Why Hip-Hop Was Dead in 2011: ON&ON E-Dition | JTTS.com

The xx - Open Eyes (demo) It’ll be hard to top the...

dshan — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:44:35 -0800

The xx - Open Eyes (demo)

It’ll be hard to top the anticipation for The xx’s sophomore album, after what was pretty much a flawless debut. A debut that created the insta-fan madness and devotion rarely enjoyed by bands so early into their trajectory. It seems that in order to pate the appetite for their next release, the band leaked a demo over the holiday weekend and it’s hauntingly gorgeous, as you might expect. Prediction: leaking demos will become a thing.

// http://thexx.info/

// [download this track]

Sol - Stage Dive Sol’s an underground sensation...

dshan — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:21:44 -0800

Sol - Stage Dive

Sol’s an underground sensation that’s about to release his debut album, despite putting out a ton of material (some of which has been shared here). He’s one of the many rappers in Seattle making that city one of the hottest hip hop scenes in the United States right now. This is the first leak from his album, due in January.

// http://solsays.com/

// [download this track]

// Sol’s Kickstarter Campaign

The Weeknd - D.D. Any doubt this is a break out year for Abel...

dshan — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:38:35 -0800

The Weeknd - D.D.

Any doubt this is a break out year for Abel Tesfaye are washed away by the release of his third mixtape of the year, Echoes of Silence. Get the free mixtape here. An early Christmas gift from an artist that’s flat out owned the hearts and minds of critics and fans for twelves months straight.

// http://the-weeknd.com/ [download the free mixtape]

// [download this song]

Merry Christmas!

dshan — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:52:46 -0800

I’m gonna slow down the daily posting this week and possibly next, but I’ll likely make it up to you with a mixtape or something.

Have a really great holiday season with your loved ones, great music, and great food.

- Derek